What's Happening in Anchorage, AK…

A polar bear named Cranbeary recently arrived safely in Anchorage, where she will join other bears at the Alaska Zoo. Cranbeary came to Alaska from The Denver Zoo.

The 670lb female will join a male named Lyutyik, who is usually called Louie or Lou, already in residence. For the present, Cranbeary will live in the zoo’s maternity den, before she and Lou are introduced. Zoo officials explained they want to keep Cranbeary separate until they are sure she is not already pregnant, then allow the two bears to meet.

Once Cranbeary’s health is confirmed, zookeepers will introduce the animals slowly to each other, with a fence between them. If these interactions are successful, Cranbeary will move into the enclosure with Lou. Officials making changes like this could use banner printing to create a festive welcome for a new arrival.

When she was at the Denver Zoo, Cranbeary lived with a male polar bear named Lee. Despite the fact they were observed engaging in mating behavior, they never had any offspring. That being the case, Denver decided to send Cranbeary to Anchorage while they built a new enclosure. Construction could take five years.

Lou lost his den-mate and companion, Ahpun, unexpectedly, and keepers think he might benefit from having Cranbeary living with him. Of course, the Alaska Zoo also hopes the two will mate and have offspring, according to zoo director Patrick Lampi, but he is more concerned about doing whatever is best for the animals.